The venomous hair structure, venom and life cycle of Lagoa crispata, a puss caterpillar of Oklahoma

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 38; no. 9; pp. 1163 - 1189
• Main Authors: Lamdin, J.M., Howell, D.E., Kocan, K.M., Murphey, D.R., Arnold, D.C., Fenton, A.W., Odell, G.V., Ownby, C.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphatases - chemistry; Adenosine Triphosphatases - isolation & purification; adenosinetriphosphatase; Amino Acids - analysis; anatomy and morphology; Animals; Arthropod Venoms - chemistry; Arthropod Venoms - enzymology; Arthropod Venoms - toxicity; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; biological development; chemical composition; Electrophoresis, Disc; Endopeptidases - chemistry; Endopeptidases - isolation & purification; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hair - chemistry; Hair - enzymology; hyaluronoglucosaminidase; Hyaluronoglucosaminidase - chemistry; Hyaluronoglucosaminidase - isolation & purification; Insecta; Insecta - chemistry; Invertebrates; Lagoa crispata; Larva; Lepidoptera; life cycle (organisms); Life Cycle Stages; Life cycle. Embryology. Development; Male; Megalopygidae; mice; Microscopy, Electron; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Morphology. Histology. Cytology; Oklahoma; Physiology. Development; proteinases; Rabbits; Rats; tannin; Tissue Fixation; toxicity; ultrastructure; urticating hairs; USA, Oklahoma; venoms; Oklahoma; United States; North America; America; Scanning electron microscopy; Life history; Chemical analysis; Insecta; Setae; Concentration; Venomous; Transmission electron microscopy; Larva; Ultrastructure; Arthropoda; Morphology; Venom; Lepidoptera; Bombycidae; Developmental stage; Invertebrata; Vegetal tannin
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-0101(99)00195-6

The presence of a unique population of Lagoa crispata, puss caterpillar, in western Oklahoma is reported. A detailed microscopic examination shows the structure of the L. crispata spines resemble the type 4 spines described by [Kawamoto, F., Kumada, N., 1984. Biology and venoms of lepidoptera. In: Tu, A.T. (Ed.), Handbook of Natural Toxins, Insect Poisons, Allergens and other invertebrate venoms, vol. 2, pp. 291–332 (ch. 9)]. The major food source of L. crispata are the leaves of oak (shin oak). The high tannin content of this food source results in spine extracts high in oak tannins. These extracts have activity but enzyme and toxin activity is lost with time. The gel filtration protein fractions are colored from brown to yellow and are inactive as enzymes or toxins. No hyaluronidase, protease or phosphohydrolase activity is detected in these protein fractions. The life cycle shows these caterpillars have 6 instars. Characterizations and annual emerging times of each instar are included.